Upset in Cincinnati: Putintseva Ousts Defending Champion Gauff in First Round

US’s Coco Gauff’s defense of her Cincinnati Open title came to a surprising end in the first round on Monday, as she was defeated 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 by Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva, CNN reports.

The world No. 34, Russian-born Putintseva, trailed 2-4 in the final set before launching a stunning comeback, winning the next four games to secure her first-ever victory over Gauff.

The American world No. 2, who had only reached the second round of the Canadian Open last week, struggled with unforced errors, hitting nine double faults during the match.

“I think the level of the game was high, especially for those conditions,” Putintseva said, according to the WTA. “The courts are lightning fast, so I’m pretty happy to get through. The whole match was a roller coaster. At this point, I was thinking I broke her a couple of times and it was not something special to break someone again. She hit two double faults, and I hit two good returns. She mishit it, the game changed immediately. On these kinds of courts, you have to stay really focused because the game can change quickly.”

Putintseva will face Spain’s Paula Badosa in the next round.

Gauff, who is the defending US Open champion after winning her first Grand Slam title on home soil last year, heads into the upcoming tournament with a potential setback. The 20-year-old recently represented Team USA at the Olympics in Paris, losing to Croatia’s Donna Vekić in the third round.

In another upset, 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez defeated fourth seed Elena Rybakina 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4. Fernandez, who has steadily climbed the rankings over the past year, is now world No. 26.